Farmers stay put in Cumbria

Farmers in Cumbria do not intend to leave the industry despite working in the region worst affected by foot and mouth last year, according to a report published on Monday by researchers from Newcastle University's centre for rural economy.

Foot and mouth disease cost Cumbria at least £600m in lost revenue, and farms forced to cull their livestock lost an average of £50,000 in income over 2001.

Of the 67 farmers questioned by researchers, only one said he was definitely planning to leave the industry. The statistic contradicts popular opinion and predictions expressed in the press, say the researchers.

Dr Katy Bennett, from the research team, said, although the research established that farmers in the region were not leaving the industry, it detailed the high level of stress they experienced throughout the crisis.

"Initially the stress was about watching and waiting for the disease to appear, then those whose stock was being culled had to watch their livestock destroyed," said Dr Bennett.

"But there was also a lot of stress related to being associated with the disease, and worries about what other neighbouring farmers would think. But despite this and being given the opportunity of compulsory purchase, only one of the farmers we spoke with was definitely going to quit the industry.

"Leaving farming is a lot more to do with social reasons - family history and identity -than purely financial. There was a lot of conflict over decision-making within families," she added.

The study was funded by the North West Development Agency, the Countryside Agency, Business in the Community, and the Northern Fells Rural project. It forms part of a larger investigation of the conduct and consequences of the crisis, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Researchers at Newcastle are continuing their investigations looking in more detail at the political management of the crisis and its effect on consumers.